Ijok... A new lease of life?
theSun, the free newspaper, is obviously not distributed in Batang Berjuntai, the central commercial town of the Ijok state constituency now caught in the by-election fever. But its April 24 article by deputy news editor Terence Fernandez has become a central piece in Khalid's Ibrahim's campaign pitch.
What the mainstream media report carries weight... SOURCE: theSun, April 19, Pg 24
That...
the ruling coalition has held the seat since 1964 -- MIC's Datuk K. Sivalingam served four terms until his demise and the late Datuk N.S. Maniam before him.
And yet, for a community in a self-proclaimed developed state, Ijok looks like rural PAS-run Kelantan, lacking development... Incidentally, Ijok charts one of the highest poverty rates in the state.
Wherever he went, theSun's depiction of Ijok, spoken through Khalid's lips, was greeted with nodding heads, and a body language that speaks seribu bahasa.
The local residents, noted by their casual attire and sheepish demeanour whenever approached for a chat, seem to understand the message that if Ijok and Batang Berjuntai couldn't get developed at pace with the rest of Selangor in the last 42 years, it's very unlikely that the new candidate for the incumbent old political party could do any wonders in the next 42 months.
The tone of vote rally-rallying campaign seems to harbour on the very basics of life: Bread and butter, not sunshine and fresh air.
For the facts of life were all laid for all to see with their naked eyes.
Here are two shots of the Batang Berjuntai town centre along the Jalan Bukit Badong junction, which stands in stark juxtaposition with the KeADILan operations room located nearby, and the MIC's within breathing distance away.
It could have been 42 years of potholes now waiting to be erased frantically.
Batang Berjuntai in April 2007... LensaPress photo by Jeff Ooi
Faced with such sudden influx of dire needs for urgent change induced by the death of the local elected representative, who died in office, both sides of the political divide rose to the occasion to garner votes.
For the one endowed with abundant resources, delivery of election goodies ran like a tread-mill, almost around the clock, on the word GO!
Nomination Day delivery... Picture courtesy Screenshots reader TT Sim
LensaPress photo by Jeff Ooi
Election is also a good time for friendly parties to show their loyalty and allegiance in walking the talk.
Call it the bolt-and-but of the polling machinery, but the Registrar of Societies (RoS) will have no issues with Belia 4B, a constitutionally apoliitical youth organisation, for showcasing its political expediency openly.
Even the corporate identity of some mainstream media had to rise to the occasion to do the logical thing in support of its ultimate shareholders.
In contrast, for the organisationally-stunted and financially-famished, soft-touches that contrast heavy machinery find their way to knit the heart-strings. The rural folks were given free check-up for blood pressure and medical advice.
The brigade of medical doctors comprise the young and old from PeaceMalaysia who had helped in the tsunami disaster zone in Acheh. Many of us recognise Dr Halimah.
Both seems to have worked in helping fill up the ballot boxes when they are opened on April 28. I have a strong sense that the local residents, who have seen famished lifestyle many decades over, have no qualms in grabbing the by-election that come their way.
"Take all RM36 million that Khir Toyo promised you. Take! It's good. It's not Toyo's money, it your taxpayers' money... Take! But give your vote to Khalid this time!"
Anwar Ibrahim speaking to the Indian community in Sungai Darah polling district, an MIC stronghold...
LensaPress photo by Jeff Ooi
The battle-cry from the Opposition seemed to have convinced many, and saved them the trouble questioning themselves about moral and ethics of accepting.election goodies.
Interestingly, one of grouses I heard yesterday was that some residents in Tuan Mee were given free sewing machines, but the Indian community in Sungai Darah, where Anwar Ibrahim and Khalid Ibrahim paid a visit, said they weren't.
Meanwhile, by the time I got back to Batang Berjuntai in the evening, a new traffic light sprang up at the Jalan Bukit Badung junction where there wasn't one when I arrived in the morning.
BEFORE... No traffic-light in the morning
AFTER... Traffic light up by sunset
I wonder if voters' wisdom have changed much over the years. The verdict will be revealed next Saturday.
The rest of the country will have to wait till the next GE.
Comments
Jeff,
This is good photojournalism stuff. Kudos to you... and also for the other Ijok articles.
I think your website is getting even longer time to download now compared to The Star in the mornings, and that speaks volumes.
P/S: Did you really get assaulted?
Posted by: JacknJill![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 23, 2007 08:52 AM
We need to have some bloggers, if reporters are not willing to check the existence of Phantom Voters. ... i have already done my part by listing this information in all the blogs and congregating bloggers to act against EVIL. Time from the slaves to wake up and stand up against injustice. Who is up for this task?
http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/reports.php?itemid=4107
23/04: Ijok: Who's gonna win? Let's bet!
Category: General Posted by: Raja Petra
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Unofficially, Parti Keadilan Rakyat is going to win the Ijok by-election by 500 votes. That’s what three intelligence agencies have reported and Barisan Nasional is running scared. Officially, Barisan Nasional will win by roughly 1,200 votes? And why do I say this? Simple, out of the 12,000 plus voters, about 1,700 or so are ‘phantom voters’.
Don’t believe me? Blogs and websites are run by unemployed women and liars? Well, take a look at the Election Commission (SPR) voters’ registration below. It is just three pages but these three pages are enough to prove my point. And if you want the whole book then you will have to pay for it because SPR sells the voters’ registration book on CD format; it is not free. And they will sell a different version to the opposition (minus some crucial information) while Barisan Nasional will get the FULL version.
Anyway, note the following from the three pages below:
In sheet one (voting locality SEKOLAH KEBANGSAAN JAYA SETIA), you will see that there are two voters (items 1 and 2) who were born in 1900. So expect 107 year old voters to come out and vote come Polling Day. There are others aged up to 93 years old who are all still alive and are voters or else their names would not be in the voters’ list.
In sheet two (voting locality SEKOLAH JENIS KEBANGSAAN CHINA IJOK), the same is repeated. Voters born in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1913, 1914, 1916, 1918, 1919, 1921, etc, are all still alive and are registered voters.
Then, in sheet three (voting locality SEKOLAH KEBANGSAAN BUKIT BADONG), there are voters born in 1999 (item 1913 in sheet three). This makes him a mere EIGHT YEARS OLD (maybe even SEVEN, depending on which month his birthday is). I wonder whether he has even been circumcised yet?
Yes, that’s right! Barisan Nasional will win by more than 1,000 votes instead of losing by 500 votes. And this is because of the 1,700 ‘phantom voters’. Anyone still wants to hedge my bet. Let’s just make it a mere teh tarik somewhere in Bangsar because I don’t want you to lose big -- just a token bet.
Posted by: hawaiichee![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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April 24, 2007 03:17 PM